My invention relates to an arrangement for the control of remote equipment, and particularly to such an arrangement that permits a plurality of different locations to control the remote equipment.
Remote equipment is frequently operated by a control location which produces a signal or tone or tone sequence indicative of the desired control function. In previous systems having several control locations, one or more control locations may produce a control signal at the same time another control location produces a control signal. These simultaneous control signals may interfere with each other and cause the remote equipment to perform an undesired function, or to perform no function at all.
Accordingly, a general object of my invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement for the remote control of equipment.
Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement for controlling equipment from a plurality of different locations without interference.
Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement for controlling equipment from a plurality of control locations by permitting only one of the control locations to produce a control signal at one time.
Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement for controlling remote equipment from a plurality of control locations by providing, at each control location, an arrangement that prevents each control location from producing a control signal if a control signal is being produced by any other control location.
In a control arrangement as described, it is desirable that after the control signal from one control location terminates, sufficient time elapse before another control signal is produced to give the controlled equipment time to reset or return to a normal condition. This is particularly true where the control signal may be in the form of a tone requiring the controlled equipment to use filters which take time to return to a normal condition.
Accordingly, another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement that prevents a control location from producing a control signal for controlling equipment until any existing control signal has ended and a predetermined delay time has elapsed so as to permit the controlled equipment to reset or return to a normal condition.
In many systems it is important to minimize the response time of the controlled equipment to the controlling signal. This conflicts with the requirement that the time between control signals be sufficient for the controlled device to reset. In a rapid sequence of control actions, the minimum interval between control signals must be at least as large as the time required for the controlled device to reset. However, as control actions become farther apart in time the need for delay diminishes. When the time between control actions exceed the reset time, no delay is needed.
Accordingly, another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement that optimizes response time by introducing a delay whose effective length is the minimum amount required to insure proper response action of the controlled device.
In a control arrangement as described, it may also be desirable that a priority of controls be established between the control locations so that a higher priority control location can interrupt or override a lower priority control location.
Accordingly, another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement for providing priority of control between a plurality of control locations connected to controlled equipment.